Phil Arvia: Only Briggs knows what he means

Monday

Jul 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMJul 30, 2007 at 3:38 AM

CHICAGO – Arvia on the Bears’ Lance Briggs

Phil Arvia

Amid the Lance Briggs scrum - autograph hounds on one side of the rope, quote hounds on the other - the prodigal linebacker briefly waxed nostalgic.
“I’ve been away too long,” he said. “Way too long.”
Agreed. But then again, it was Briggs’ idea to stay away.
He turned down a multiyear contract offer from the Bears prior to last season. He denigrated the franchise when it placed a franchise tag on him and promised to sit out rather than accept $7.2 million for the coming season.
He said, among other things, “Going back and playing for the Bears organization, no, I don’t see that as an option. Not one more day. Not at all.”
And “I’ll never play another down in Chicago again.”
Lovie Smith heard those comments. Yet, he remained certain he’d see the scene that played out Sunday under the sunny skies of Kankakee County.
“There’s a business part of everything, and you can’t let that get into reality,” Smith said. “Reality is there’s an offseason. A lot of things go on in the offseason. But then once it gets time for training camp, who’s here? Lance showed up on time.”
It was that simple for Smith because he insisted on keeping it so. While Briggs and his agent sought to muddy the waters, while Jerry Angelo was forced to consider trades, Smith held to reality as he saw it.
“History says, how many guys have given up $7.2 million?” Smith said.
OK, not many. But then, not many have carpet bombed a franchise the way Briggs did in March and managed to be welcomed back. Wasn’t some of what was said troubling to Smith?
“No,” he said. “You know, I have three sons. From time to time, I get upset with them a little bit, but in the end, they’re still in the family. Lance was never out of the family.”
Smith is responsible for that fact, becoming the party ensuring there would be a neutral ground to which the warring factions could return. He played this perfectly, supporting his bosses while not alienating his player.
In large part because of Smith, I think, no one seemed bent on extracting penance from Briggs, either - not the fans welcoming him back nor Angelo.
Angelo conceded nothing more than the obvious - that he and Briggs aren’t best buddies - but added, “My main concern is the health of the football team, not necessarily my relationship with the player. I’m not coaching the player.”
Smith is. Angelo dismissed the notion that the player Smith would be coaching is in camp only grudgingly.
“He’s in as good a stead as you could possible be in, given his circumstances,” Angelo said. “Right now, I’m treating Lance as a positive not only in terms of getting a real good player back here, but I’m putting his attitude as a positive, too.”
Perhaps it was all this traffic on the high road that kept Briggs’ tongue idling. The normally loquacious linebacker tried as hard as he could to say as little as possible.
But, at one point, he did say of his return, “I knew it was going to come.”
I told him it didn’t sound like it with some of the things he was saying.
“Yeah,” he said. “I know.”
But he denied regretting anything from the negotiation process, adding, “It’s business.”
After that, he clammed up. Pressed further, he said, “I’m not talking.”
Asked why, he answered, “I’ve said enough. You know what I mean?”
He went on signing in silence, acknowledging only fans.
One said, “Stay with the Bears, Lance. I hope you come back. I hope they give you what you deserve.”
“I appreciate it,” he said. “I do, too.”
Making one last stab, I asked Briggs if that was a possibility, if this was not one year and out.
If I were guessing, I’d interpret his silence as something other than a no comment.
At the moment, however, only Smith’s interpretation matters.
Phil Arvia can be reached at parvia@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5949. Read his blog at http://blogs.dailysouthtown.com/arvia